


The musicians of Bremen

by Harmonica_Smile (Rescue_Remedy)



Series: Domestic Blindness [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Adult Law, Bleat the goat, Canon Related, Chapter 855 manga cover, Cora is not alive, Cora sets himself on fire—child Law looks on, Don't copy to another site, Future Meeting, Gen, Lvneel Island, Lvneel Kingdom, One Shot, Past Canon Compliant to a degree, There's a wee dog, They're cooking and eating sweet potatoes, past discussion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21765562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rescue_Remedy/pseuds/Harmonica_Smile
Summary: Originally posted December 31, 2017"Her mother had twins, rejected this one." Kureha placed the cardboard box on Sengoku's table. She'd made a special trip."The vet found it huddled in the corner of the pen. Don't know how I ended up looking after it, but gave it milk seven, eight times a day—and night—until it pulled through."Sengoku looked at the white kid curled inside, snuggled into some old dog blankets.”What makes you think I want it?”Kureha patted him on the shoulder. "That boy of yours."**Sorry to my subscribersand regular readers. I just wanted to share some of the sweeter parts of my long fics for those who don't read dark.
Relationships: Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante & Sengoku the Buddha, Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Sengoku the Buddha & Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Domestic Blindness [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558741
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	The musicians of Bremen

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this explores both Cora and Law's relationship with Sengoku's goat, and it was written for _Gimcracks_ at the end of 2017. It also looks at Cora and Law's relationship from the cover of [chapter 855](https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Chapter_855?file=Chapter_855.png) where Cora is cooking sweet potatoes and offering them to a passing dog. He's set himself on fire of course. This is a post-canon world, so Sengoku is retired, lives as a hermit on a mountain, and is reflecting. Law has gone to visit him. Law is with Marco in this world, but it's only lightly touched upon. In this world, Law also spent some time sailing with Shanks in the past. It's not that important to the story.

* * *

**Musicians of Bremen**

* * *

Sengoku laid down the spare futon, had a crackling fire revved up. The wind whipped around the hut like a witch parting her hair. Just as well Law had come with spirits – both the ephemeral and ethanol kind. He actually had pretty decent taste in whiskey and it went a long way to warming both of them.

Bleat tucked in on herself in a corner of the room. Law relished the roughly hewn door—the easy access _out_ to the wide world. He'd take his chances with flimsy doors over deadbolted ones most days, depending on how much access he had to the deadbolt. But he reminded himself that seastone was the deadliest prison, a bucketful of water a close second. He could escape all else.

Law cooked. The ex-admiral wasn't a bad cook, but Law knew how tired you could get of your own repertoire. The old man lived for months with just Bleat for company. Law added some of the fresh herbs he'd picked, while climbing the mountain, to the bubbling pot he stirred.

"No hallucinogens?"

Sengoku had brought the plaits of his beard to the front, and twisted them into one mighty braid, which he now stroked. Crumbs from the crackers Law had given him clung to it. Flavoured with wasabi and cognac, the Heart captain's taste in okaki matched his taste in spirits.

"Not that kind of story, Sengoku-San." The corner of Law's mouth lifted.

The ex-admiral looked confused, but decided it wasn't worth pursuing. His stomach growled and he hoped dinner wouldn't be too much longer.

* * *

"You've always had pets?"

"No." Law supped up the gravy with the rice Sengoku had prepared. They sat at the small square pine table. It held salt and pepper, soy and a few other condiments. There was room for four chairs with the table pulled out. It was flush against a kitchen counter at present.

"That bear. That reindeer."

"Crew. Bepo's a Mink, and Chopper's Strawhat's doctor."

"Not pets then."

Law nodded, swallowed and thought how that misconception had protected them. He took a sip of his whiskey. Wiped the back of his mouth with his hand in appreciation.

You didn't want to see Bepo launch into action during a full moon. Or you did if he was on your side, but you had to be nearby with something to hide his eyes once he'd used up all his energy, and someone like Jean Bart to carry him back to the sub if Law had expended his own powers and couldn't use shambles. You needed to govern it. Shachi's sunglasses had come in handy a few times.

Tony-ya in monster or heavy point form was formidable. More importantly, he was an amazing doctor—and though pets _could_ heal others, Tony was a practitioner on a whole other level.

"You like animals?"

"I do."

Sengoku filled their glasses and the two men clinked them before drinking. "They say that psychopaths have an affinity for animals and children, but few others."

Law shrugged. He'd never aimed a canon at a shipload of civilians.

"Rocinante actually did like kids."

Law rolled his eyes. The man had shown his true colours to him, but the bruises gained from make-believe hurt as much.

He looked around the hut. It was simple. Basically one room. The kitchen, the living room, the sleeping quarters, the table they were sitting at, all in one area. Sengoku's futon was laid out near his own. There was no other space.

Law had spent years in his sub in close proximity to his crew, and also sailing with the Strawhats and Shanks. He trusted his ability to defend himself if he needed to, and in choosing not to put himself in danger. He'd been mostly successful, with a few notable exceptions. His only fear was how loudly Sengoku snored.

It got dark early in the mountains and there wasn't much else to do. Law had traversed a shitload of terrain, and Sengoku's journey for supplies was not the easiest trek. Plus he was an old, old man now, though not by Dr. Kureha's standards. After a few more shots of whiskey, the two men tidied the dishes and settled down for the night.

* * *

"He shared our sweet potatoes with a stray once. Set himself on fire of course," Law said, thankful for the pillow, the warm fire, Sengoku's hospitality. Even so, Kikoku was nearby.

"Never lost that habit," Sengoku noted. "Was it his damn cigarette?"

"We were on Lvneel Island. We camped. Either there were no inns around or it would have drawn too much attention. From Doflamingo, the Barrels Pirates, or yourselves. You and he knew more about that than I ever did."

Sengoku sighed. Roci had gone to Minion island after that. Why had he gone? He knew. But see where his kind heart got him? The only part that was true about that stupid title. Executive indeed.

"Minion Island was full of snow, but Lvneel was kind of pleasant, except I was sick, and Cora's farts could fell a horse. That _wasn't_ pleasant."

Rocinante's farts _were_ lethal. "Maybe that's why you were outside."

"Hmph. Probably. Cora gathered some fallen leaves to start a fire. He was smoking too of course, but it was the flames from the litter that caught the edges of the feathers of his coat."

Sengoku laughed from his futon. Of course it was.

Law smiled in the semi-darkness, the light from the hearth dancing over his face. "I don't really know where he got the sweet potatoes. Actually, he had all kinds of things in his backpack. A bazooka. A vase."

Sengoku wondered if Law was remembering things through a decades-old sheen. Childhood memories.

"He had light fingers. Pirate."

"Marine. Master spy."

"Yeah." Law exhaled. "Whatever. He probably picked them up from one of the stores as we hotfooted it out of whichever town as soon as we could before the marines closed in on us. The hospitals always called them." Even in Montblanc Noland's homeland.

Sengoku grunted. "He told me he wouldn't go there."

"Minion Island?" Law thought of the very many things Cora had said that weren't true. "I know."

Bleat rustled in the corner, and the wind rattled the door.

"He offered the sweet potato he'd just cooked to a little stray that had wandered into our camp. Actually, maybe it wasn't a stray, it had a collar, but it was hungry. It would have been too hot for him. I was eating mine, and I'd just burnt my tongue." Law ran it along the roof of his mouth in remembrance. "Of course the dog got mine."

"Why?"

"Had to drop it and put out the fire. Actually, it got two. Cora dropped his as well when he realised his coat was alight. Then it scarpered from the camp, dragging both of them with him. Luckily we had a few more cooking."

"You did that often." A statement, not a question.

"Dousing flames, you mean?"

"Unh."

Law smiled. "Yeah." He rolled to his side. Sengoku was on his back. He'd taken off his glasses before turning in. "When he first spoke to me – and until then I'd thought he was mute – he told me that everything was an act. The clumsiness, the ditziness. He tried to be such a hard man."

"Then he set himself on fire."

Law laughed. "An occupational hazard of being close to him was needing to develop firefighting skills."

"Don't I know it."

Law shut his eyes.

"He picked up smoking in the marines."

"He was safe?"

"Mmm. Apart from being an unintentional pyromaniac. He had no desire to see Doffy."

"But he re-joined him." Law thought how close Cora and the old man must have been for Sengoku to use the nickname without thinking. He thought about how rude he'd been to Cora, all the time, as a boy. He'd been so full of hate.

"He desired to stop him."

"Seems none of us succeeded at that task." Except for the ones to finally take him out. Law felt himself drift off.

Strange pirate, the admiral thought.

* * *

Bleat, the traitor. Marco had told him Law was a light sleeper and goats were notorious insomniacs, but Bleat had pushed herself up against the Heart captain some time in the night, and there they lay, back to back, snoring away, under the futon cover – Law must have pulled it over them, though Bleat was clever, all goats were. One of Law's hands extended from under the covers and rested on his sword, but other than that, he was sleeping peacefully, mouth wide open, drooling onto the pillow.

Usually she sought warmth from Sengoku. He'd had her since she was a kid. He rekindled the fire and hung the kettle on a hook over it. A pump connected to a stream nearby. He'd use some of the leftover rice from last night, throw in some shaved salmon and green tea, and there you had it—along with flavouring, some of the spices Law had brought—breakfast. A small generator powered his hut. He clanged a few pots together. Why should he be the only one up and the only one rejected?

Law slit his eyes open. The bed was warm. He brought the covers around him. "Sengoku-san." Was Bepo in the bed beside him?

 _Meh-eh-eh-eh_.

He jumped. Sengoku laughed.

"You didn't make her faint into bed. Scaring her to death if you couldn't seduce her?"

Law turned to face the coarse hide of Sengoku's goat. She scrambled to get up. Law felt his hair was vulnerable in that position. But she shook her body, clip-clopped over the rough floor and nosed her way out the door.

Kikoku's tassels were still intact.

"Faint?"

"Doctor Doolittle, surely you know that about goats?"

Law sat up, and shook his head. Stretched out and shivered. Fuck it was cold. He grabbed the sweater he'd removed before turning in last night and chucked on some of the warmer clothes he'd brought. He wondered about bathing. No doubt there was some ascetic freezing cold waterfall nearby. They broke the mould making these tough old men.

"Their muscles can become temporarily paralysed when they panic, then they fall over. Seems as if they faint."

"Inconvenient." And familiar. "No, I didn't make her faint. Guess she couldn't resist my charisma." He yawned and rubbed at his eyes. "I hear they're great swimmers."

"You're not taking her."

"Not sailing nowadays, anyway, and the sub wouldn't be suitable, of course." Plus, his dog would be jealous, and Marco probably wouldn't share the bed.

Law folded the futon after pulling a few things from his bag. He stored it in the small alcove where Sengoku had already put his own. Sengoku had a hot pot of tea ready at the table.

"How long you staying, Law?"

"A week okay?" He pulled out a chair, sat down.

Sengoku grunted. "Can't promise we won't be without company."

Law lifted an eyebrow.

"What can I say? I'm a popular guy."

Akainu was gone. Kizaru was under Fujitora's watchful eye. He was actually on good terms with Tsuru, Tashigi and Smoker. Garp. He didn't know much about him, but just figured he'd shamble his way out of his effusiveness if it came to that. He figured he could deal with anyone who joined them if it came to that. Aokiji.

"How old is Bleat?"

"We got her soon after Roci joined me."

* * *

**oOOo**

* * *

The goats of Drum Island had been bred for years to live with humans. Sure, goats had the longest history of domesticity in the world, but Drum goats _could_ be kept in the house, were trained, and lived at least a third of Doctor Kureha's own current lifespan. Perfect mascots, companions and pets. Though they still had a tendency to chew and to climb everything.

"Her mother had twins, rejected this one." Kureha placed the cardboard box on Sengoku's table. She'd made a special trip. "The vet found it huddled in the corner of the pen. Don't know how I ended up looking after it, but gave it milk seven, eight times a day—and night—until it pulled through."

Sengoku looked at the white kid curled inside, snuggled into some old dog blankets.

"She only needs milk about four times a day now. Should be weaned onto hay and other grains by about week six. The milk's got the nutrients she needs, same as she'd get from her mother."

"How old is she?" She was a wee thing. She bleated softly and pushed her nose into Sengoku's palm.

"Two weeks."

”What makes you think I want it?”

Kureha patted him on the shoulder. "That boy of yours."

* * *

Rocinante came into his office after his classes. He was still a quiet, shocked kid. Sengoku wasn't sure what had happened, but to say he was distressed when he'd come across him was to put it mildly. He hadn't been dressed for the snow that was piling up, and he had bruises all over him, old scars. It looked like someone had taken aim with an arrow – burns from fire and old rope burns on his wrists. Although the snow had washed a lot off, he was also blood-spattered. Not just blood-spattered, flecks of gore stuck to his skin and hair.

They hadn't been able to get much out of him, except to find out that he had no relatives, or no relatives he wanted to claim. He'd been with Sengoku six months, and though his teacher said he completed classwork quickly and correctly, he seemed excessively clumsy and still rarely spoke.

Rocinante silently entered Sengoku's work space after knocking. He placed his bag on the couch, before walking back to the door to close it properly. That door was heavy, but before he got halfway there, the bag slipped to the floor, pens, pencils, a half-eaten sandwich, text books, falling out. He rushed back and started frantically gathering them.

Sengoku stood up and crouched near him. This boy was going to be tall, but the admiral loomed over him at this point. He held the bag open so Rocinante could return the items, but then wrinkled his nose and peered into it instead. There were more sandwiches in the bag. Mouldy sandwiches.

"Not eating lunch?"

Rocinante looked down. "Don't like bread." All that he and Doflamingo, his mother and father, had been able to survive on was rotten food, and the bakery tipped its waste into the dump after it had sat at the back of the shop for a day or two. He couldn't shake the taste, the association, even if Sengoku picked up their bread first thing in the morning.

The admiral put a palm on the young boy's face, and he didn't flinch or draw away. He was very trusting, despite something terrible having happened. "Then you don't have to eat it."

"Really?" Sengoku lifted his fringe so he could see his eyes. They had a strange reddish-brown burn to them, and were hopeful.

"Of course. What do you like?"

"I don't like pizza."

"Okay, no pizza. How about stuff I can give you?"

"Lettuce, cabbage, umeboshi."

Sengoku laughed. "Well, my little rabbit. We'll see what we can do."

 _Meh-eh-eh-eh_.

Rocinante's head shot up, forgetting all about food. Sengoku helped him pack his school supplies back into his bag, throwing the sandwiches in the bin first, and tipped his head toward the box. The baby goat had mostly slept after Doctor Kureha left, Sengoku taking it to his lap for the occasional feed. Rocinante approached it, hesitantly. Needing to stand on tippy-toes.

"Ohh."

Sengoku figured the gasp was positive. "It's okay. You can pet it, and soon we can feed it."

"It?"

"She. Her. Her mother didn't want her."

"You know how to feed her?"

"Dr. Kureha showed me."

"She's a vet?"

"Crazy doctor, but she showed me how." And left him with a bottle of rum for his troubles, but made sure that she picked up a bottle of scotch in return, a particular brand she'd had her eye on for some time.

* * *

**oOOo**

* * *

"They live that long?" That was before Law was even born.

"Comes from the same place as Kureha."

"Aah."

Law thought that he and Marco might have to seek out Drum Island the next time they needed a dog. Though they got them from the haven for a reason.

Sengoku ladled him some ochazuke, and Law took it with thanks, lifting the bowl to his lips and supping the tea, salmon and rice broth.

"Bleat liked him?"

"He liked Bleat. It was mutual. A kid and a kid. Rocinante looked after her, and she'd seek out his bed. He'd have these bruises on his face where her hooves clipped him in the night until we trained her to sleep away from him, like she was with you this morning. Marine base was rough, and Roci went into training pretty early, but everyone thought I was doling out my own version of Garp's tough love."

Luffy had mentioned it.

"Despite the bruises he got from her, it was the first time I saw Rocinante smile."

"He had quite the smile."

"Yes, it's true."

.

"You think my tattoos are ugly?" Law asked, lowering the breakfast dish to the table. A conversation they'd had earlier.

"Haven't met one I've liked yet."

Law was sure some marines were inked up.

"Kizaru ruined the one on my back, but the front one's still intact."

"I should care?" What did any of this have to do with Bleat?

Law nodded. "The centrepiece, it's the same as my Jolly Roger."

Sengoku recalled the pictures. The smiling face surrounded by a heart. "What's up with the hearts?"

"He liked them."

"I never saw him wear them, except for undercover."

"It's the only way I knew him. That was his name."

"That wasn't his name!" Sengoku hit the table. A chopstick fell to the floor. "That ridiculous make-up. That bunch of clowns you ran with."

Law remained calm. It was how he knew him. There were worse things to admire than a heart. "You had photos?"

Sengoku took a few deep breaths, shot a look of apology and nodded. "Childhood, graduation, the one I sent you for his undercover work. You know I did."

"I didn't have any until you sent that. The last thing I saw was that smile, same smile as in the photo. It scared me half to death." Law ran his fingers in some ocha that had spilt to the table. "Twice he smiled like that. Vergo had beaten me. Us. I was just gaining consciousness. I guess it's how Cora wanted me to remember him. He was missing a tooth. He wasn't in good shape."

"Tell me more." Sengoku growled. He remembered the photo of his protégé abandoned in the snow.

Law's face was grim but his voice steady. "He got shot stealing the fruit. It went perfectly, but you know, he tripped." Cora's Achilles heel. "Even so, he stuffed that foul-tasting thing down my throat, and it's one of the reasons I'm here today."

"Mmph."

Over the years they'd spoken, but there was a lot they'd never discussed. If Law was guilty of bringing Vergo to Cora, Sengoku was as guilty for having sent him to the region. Neither of them could have known.

"If Vergo hadn't attacked, he probably would have survived."

"If you'd found another marine."

"If."

Both men took a mouthful of their tea.

"You know from your reports. Doflamingo released his birdcage and Cora knew there was no escape. He told me there was but there wasn't. I wanted to believe him though. Believe there was an alternative."

Bleat nosed her way back into the hut, tail wagging, wondering if her humans might come out for some fresh mountain air. She leaned against Law's thigh, and he tried to pull the material of his slacks away from her. He hung a tea-towel from the edge of the table for her to nibble on instead.

Sengoku picked it up and put it out of Bleat's and Law's way. "It's not good for her digestion. Why don't you feed her your hat?"

Law scowled. "Where's that seagull thing you used to wear. Did it fall prey to her appetite?"

"Get on with the story."

It was important. Law didn't begrudge the old man's directness. He moved Kikoku slightly, away from the goat's curiosity.

"At least with Doflamingo I wasn't running from marines. We had to run from skirmishes, and Tsuru was always after us, but the crew had my back."

"Until you did something wrong."

"Unh."

That particular security ended abruptly.

"Cora-san pushed me into a trunk, and hoped it would protect me, that his bond with Doflamingo would protect him. Neither one worked, though Cora's calm-ability kept my presence hidden."

"You heard him get shot?"

"Yes. I saw him lying in the snow as the Family carted the trunk away. They didn't know I was in it. I couldn't stop wailing. Obviously they could have heard me once - -“

"Rocinante stopped breathing."

Law nodded. Tsuru's barrage had saved him.

"He smiled, I guess he wanted me to remember it, he smiled as he fitted me into that space, closed that lid on me. Craziest thing. The last living thing I saw of him was that."

And he remembered the accompanying words. Law didn't find his tattoos ugly in the least.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.
> 
> *In SBS 77, Oda confirms that Law and Cora visited _[Noland's homeland, "Lvneel Kingdom"](https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/SBS_Volume_77) in chapter 765._ Chapter [855](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/onepiece/images/7/71/Chapter_855.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/636?cb=20170607182359) cover.
> 
> My [tumblr.](https://chromatic-lamina.tumblr.com/)


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